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4mo ago

Undercover Officer Says Bond With Dean Penney Was Real as Cross-Examination Probes RCMP 'Mr. Big' Sting

The defence is testing how a 50‑month undercover ruse shaped his trust.

Dean Penney has been seated in witness stand as undercover officers testify in his first-degree murder trial in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in Corner Brook. The officer tasked with befriending him in a Mr. Big operation continued his testimony on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
A look inside Courtroom 1 of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in Corner Brook during a break in Dean Penney’s murder trial on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
A second undercover officer testified behind this black screen
An undercover RCMP officer, who was part of the Mr. Big operation, continued his testimony in Dean Penney’s first-degree murder trial behind a black screen in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in Corner Brook on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Overview

  • In court, the undercover officer known as Vic said he built a genuine friendship with Penney over more than four years and told jurors he wished for a different outcome.
  • Defence lawyer Mark Gruchy questioned whether the fictitious crime group filled a need in Penney’s life, citing recordings where Penney thanked the men for help when he felt “down and out.”
  • Audio from Dec. 3, 2020 captured Penney saying he loved his estranged wife and would never hurt her as he denied any role in her disappearance.
  • Jurors also heard that Vic staged a confession about a past killing during the operation to gauge Penney’s reaction, a tactic used to make talk of violence feel normal.
  • The trial in Corner Brook continues under a publication ban on undercover identities, and the jury has not yet heard the November 2023 interviews with the ruse’s boss that the Crown says are key.